Current AffairsCzech Air Force takes over surveillance of Icelandic airspace

Five Czech Gripen fighter jets are flying to Iceland on Friday as the Czech
Army prepares to take over surveillance of Icelandic airspace. Over the
next nine weeks Czech aircraft and a contingent of 75 soldiers will be
primarily responsible for Iceland’s air defence, the only NATO member
state with no air force of its own.

Photo: Milan Nykodym, CC BY-SA 2.0
Iceland, one of the founding members of NATO, is the only member state
without an army. Its role in NATO revolves around its strategic position
and the NATO airbases on its territory. Consequently its defence is in the
hands of NATO allies. From 1951 to 2006 the country’s air defence was
exclusively in the hands of the United States after which other NATO
members accepted the responsibility in a rotating joint operation. For the
first time ever the Czech air force will now have the task of patrolling
Iceland’s airspace. The planned five week surveillance mission was
recently extended to nine weeks at NATOs request. Czech Defence Minister
Martin Stropnický told Czech Television why the Czech military is sending
its troops to Iceland.

“That is the way the NATO alliance works. There is a division of tasks
according to capacity and we are able to provide air surveillance. Our
Gripen fighter jets are ideal for this purpose. Also, this mission is a
great training exercise for our air force. We have twice protected the air
space of the Baltic States, and the surveillance mission over Iceland will
allow the force to test its capability in harsh northern conditions. It is
one of the few opportunities Czech pilots have to undertake flights over
the sea.”

The fighter jets, which were given a protective layering to withstand the
harsh climate, will for the first time be refuelling in the air over the
Atlantic with the help of an Italian Boeing 767. Thursday’s scheduled
flight to Iceland had to be postponed by 24 hours because bad weather
conditions over the Atlantic would have complicated the procedure. Even so,
there are stand-by alternatives – an emergency landing in Scotland or
Norway would enable them to reach their destination – Iceland’s
Keflavik Air base without great delay. The flight from Čáslav Airbase to
Keflavik should take an estimated four and a half hours.

Martin Stropnický, photo: Filip Jandourek
The bulk of the Czech contingent left on Monday and is on standby to take
over Iceland’s air defence as soon as the Gripens arrive. They will be
cooperating with NATO’s combined Air Operations Centre in Germany and are
bracing for possible problems in view of the intensified activities of the
Russian air force in the region. Four Gripens will be up in the air with
one held in reserve.

The nine-week mission is expected to cost an estimated 33 million crowns
and according to a stable agreement on the air-policing of its territory
Iceland will cover the bulk of the expense.